Wrong Foot
by Amelie Nockturne
Summary: The members of Team Mustang have no idea what they're in for when they meet the newest State Alchemist.


**Hey! Anime fans of the Internet!**

**I really need your help with something. Long story short, if you could assign any anime character to one of the MLP:FiM Elements of Harmony (Generosity, Kindness, Laughter, Loyalty, Honesty, or Magic), who would it be?**

**Please drop me a review or PM with your ideas, even if you only have one or two characters in mind. Character name and anime, please! Thanks!**

* * *

"Morning, Colonel." Fallman, ever the polite one, rose and gave a quick salute as his commanding officer entered the room. Mustang merely nodded in reply, sitting at his desk and looking vaguely perturbed (not a huge difference from his usual expression). In the corner, Furey tinkered with his radio-thingy; Breda munched on a pastry from the cafeteria, not caring that the crumbs pretty much coated his paperwork by now; Havoc dozed at his desk.

"Hey, Havoc- did'ya hear about the new State Alchemist everyone's been talking about?" Furey turned around, looking excited as he roused his fellow officer from sleep.

"Mhmm, heard he can do alchemy without a circle even. Sounds crazy."

"Someone told me he's the youngest State Alchemist ever to pass the exams."

"Really? Even younger than Calhoun? He was only twenty." By this point, no one was focused on what they were supposed to be doing. Mustang either didn't notice or didn't care, sitting at his desk and grumbling at his own personal thoughts.

"Who do you think he'll be assigned to?"

"Heard someone mention Lieutenant Colonel Kurtz, but it's probably just a rumor."

"Ahem." The conversation was interrupted by Hawkeye, who entered the room with a poker face as straight as ever. "Colonel Mustang, he's here." Mustang gave a long, dramatic sigh usually reserved for his paperwork.

"Yeah, let him in. I presume his brother is here, too?" Hawkeye's eyes widened just a bit, the only sign of her surprise.

"You mean that... is his _brother_?" Mustang nodded somewhat gravely.

"His younger brother, yes. Now go fetch them before Hughes or Armstrong or some other idiot comes across 'em." She obeyed, walking out the door crisply to go "fetch" whoever it was.

At this point, the entire office was practically buzzing. Havoc had even resorted to pestering Mustang himself in a desperate attempt for answers.

"Could you at least explain who this guy is before we meet him? And why's he bringing his younger brother to a military base?" Mustang put down his pen (he'd been doodling some kind of alchemic array on what looked to be an important official document) and stood.

"His name is Edward Elric, and he's the new State Alchemist. They're a... special case, and are being put under my command until further notice."

"And his brother?" Furey spoke up.

"Alphonse. They're practically inseparable. Now get back to your damn jobs before I char all of your eyebrows off!" He snapped the fingers on his other hand menacingly. Not needing a second prompt, everyone was settled back into their routines just in time for another knock on the door.

"They're outside the door, Colonel. Did you brief the rest of the squad? Permission to let them in?"

"Yeah, let the little pipsqueak in." The colonel's tone was nonchalant and offhanded, but none of them missed how loudly he'd spoken, as if he'd wanted the men presumably standing outside to hear.

Hawkeye reached to turn the knob and-

"_Who the HELL are you calling a pipsqueak?!" _The door was kicked in by a tough-looking black leather boot.

... a somewhat small leather boot (not that any of them were willing to voice the unanimous opinion now, after what they'd just heard)...

All the heads in the office turned, each one excited to get a glimpse of the newest State Alchemist, the one who rumor had it could perform alchemy without a circle!

A short, blonde, _fuming _mad preteen strode into the room as if he owned the place. Taking his blazing golden eyes away from glaring daggers at Mustang, he turned to the rest of the team.

"Name's Edward Elric, new State Alchemist. I take it you're this bastard's lackeys?"

**The two alchemists mentioned by the crew are just random names- not real characters, and they won't be mentioned again. Next part soon, hopefully! And my apologies concerning the length of this chapter. Thanks for reading!**


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